Your Ultimate Guide to Blonde Hair Colour

There's no such thing as blonde hair. Confused? Allow us to explain: The thing about blonde hair is that there are so many variations of the hue. There isn't just one type or shade of the hair colour; there are many different versions that suit certain types of skin tones and natural hair shades. And how do we know this? We spoke to expert Melanie Smith, creative master colourist at Josh Wood, on the different shades of blonde hair. Some you may not even be aware of. For example, New York–blonde was a newbie for us. (Great name, though, right?)

Smith took us through the five main ways to go blonde, who they suit and what you should be asking your hairdresser. She also gave us a great tip on how to ensure you don't walk out of the hair salon disappointed, as well as the products she recommends to keep your hair in great condition. For that, plus the five blonde hair colours, we suggest you keep scrolling.

"Nobody would ask for a dark blonde; rather, you'd ask for a 'bronde' [darker blonde pieces in brunette hair]. This is good for people who haven't been blonde before, so it's an easy way to change. Plus, it's wearable, low maintenance and tends to suit every skin tone. However, always, always take pictures on your phone; that's my number one rule. Sometimes your hairdresser and you are talking a different language, but if you're looking at the same visual, you'll get a better result," says Smith.

"Balayage in honey tones and warmer shades work really well on medium skin tones," Smith tells us. "To really get what you're after from your hairdresser, make a board on Pinterest and put on all the images that you like. Also, put some pictures in that you don't like. When I'm doing a consultation with my client, I say, 'You're not going to look like this' because it makes them relax. This rules out mistakes."

"This is a very warm colour. For me, it suits most skin tones, and after 'bronde,' this is the next step into being classed as a blonde," says Smith. "This is also great if you're already blonde but want to go warmer in autumn. I'm finding that everyone's coming in super bleached after the summer, and now they want to add warmth, as it gives their face some colour. This shade also works well for Afro and naturally curly hair too."

"This is still the most popular in salons. I'd call it a classic creamy blonde or a New York–blonde. It's just really well done with creamy, slightly warm tones. This would be best for someone quite light already, so you're already blonde or you're used to being blonde. It would be the step just under platinum," suggests Smith.

"This is the opposite spectrum to the honey blonde, as this is much cooler. When we bleach, we always put ashy tones, such as with Jennifer Lawrence's hair colour. But unless you're going for a high-fashion style, I wouldn't go for this look. If you do, make sure your hair is looked after. I'd use Olaplex. I also love Sachajuan products and the Josh Wood Precious Blonde range for any blonde," says Smith.